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Air Force coach Troy Calhoun did everything possible to avoid talk about Navy’s offense when he talked Sunday night.

He wanted to talk about Navy’s defense. Air Force will play host to Navy Saturday. Kickoff is 9:30 a.m.

“I thought they were absolutely fantastic on defense,” Calhoun said. “That defense is really, really big. I think they’re talented. People have really struggled to move the ball against their defense.”

That’s true, if you look at Navy’s past two games. The Midshipmen pounded Virginia Military, 41-3, before the loss to San Jose State.

But Navy’s defense was not as successful against Notre Dame and Penn State. The Fighting Irish and Nittany Lions piled 84 points on Navy’s defense.

The Midshipmen hobble into Falcon Stadium with a 1-3 record, but Calhoun, as usual, sees a potentially powerful opponent.

“I think they’re as talented as they’ve ever been at Navy,” Calhoun said.

INJURY UPDATE

Offensive tackle Jerry Henry suffered an ankle injury in Saturday’s 42-21 win over CSU. Calhoun said he’s not sure if Henry will practice Monday. … Calhoun was also unclear about the status of fullback Mike DeWitt, who missed the CSU game with an ankle injury.

DURDEN INJURED

Former Air Force tight end Devin Durden suffered a spinal cord injury Wednesday in Georgia, according to a report by Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News. Durden was riding a motorcycle when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle.
Channel 2 reported Durden suffered a spinal cord injury and had undergone two surgeries. Durden was removed from Air Force’s team in August for unspecified reasons.